The Gold 2014 Olympic Medals Will Be Merged with Meteorite Fragments

A series of 2014 Olympic medals will be created with pieces of Russian meteorite. The medals will be embedded with pieces of a space rock that struck Russia earlier this year. As a result, winning athletes will be able to carry a piece of Russian history with them.

Seven of the gold medals for the Sochi Winter Olympics will contain a meteorite shard. Winners of the men's 1,500 meter speedskating, the men's K-125 ski jump, the women's super giant slalom and other events will receive a space-infused medal.

The decision to add meteorite fragments to Olympic medals comes as a result of the event's historical importance. According to Chelyabinsk Region Culture Minister Alexei Betekhtin, the medals have pieces of space rock "because both the meteorite strike and the Olympic Games are the global events."